Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: 50 Years Cultural Ambassador to the WorldExhibition Home

ALVIN AILEY (1931–1989) founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a company dedicated to enriching American modern dance heritage and preserving the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience. This exhibition draws from the Music Division’s rich collections to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of this acknowledged treasure of American modern dance. The Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation Archive was obtained by the Library in 2006 and is a multimedia collection relating to Ailey’s career and the development of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.